ABSDF NEWS AGENCY (r)

[caroline@xxxxxxxxxx]

Press Release March 18, 1996 compulsory Recital groups of religious verses
in Sagaing Division
	Commander of Northwest Military Commander, Gen. Hla Myint Swe
recently ordered the 28 townships in Sagaing Division to form the Recital
group of religious verses.  According to his order, Recital group is a
compulsory duty of every township in Sagaing Division. 
	Every township group were required to recruit at least 5,000
members and wear the yogi (brown color, traditionally symbolic to Buddhist
religion). The responsible persons at township level were in very hard
time for recruiting their quota numbers.  The recruitment is exactly the
same with the work of USDA. People were forced to join this traditionally
voluntary and religious group by force, said one resident from Sagaing, a
capital city of Sagaing Division. 
	Recently, the district level competitions of reciting religious
verses by township groups were held in Sagaing Division. One eyewitness
revealed her experience that every participating groups were asked to
donate 5,000 kyat as a fund for competition, and spent their own money
again for transportation, food and lodging in Kalay where the competition
was held. 
	First prize winner was awarded 5,000 Kyat and consolation price
winner was awarded 1,000 Kyat. Even the first prize winner received only
the cash prize of 5,000 Kyat which was just equivalent to their donation
for the competition.  It is merely a publicity stunt of Slorc who wants to
show that they are pious, said the member of recital group of religious
verses. They (Slorc) can gain good publicity without spending any pennies,
or even some money left for them. Only the people have to spend their
money and their time. for this work, she added.  forced labor in Yer
Modern Farm Project in Sagaing Division
	Thousands of local people in Min Kin township, Sagaing Division
have been forcibly ordered to work at Yer Modern Farm Project which
isaimed to explore the new 3,000 acres of farming land in Min Kin
township. 
	Slorc has introduced this new project in Min Kin township recently
and forced thousands of local people to work in this project site. One
person from each household in entire Min Kin township was summoned to work
daily from morning 6:00am to 6:00 pm.  There are 188 villages under 64
village groups in Min Kin township, Sagaing Division.  Some village groups
were ordered to pay tax for the project in addition to the forced labor.
Each household were ordered to pay between 350- 700 kyat four times. 
	The new project is to make the Nga Thaw Di swamp which is situated
between Mauk Kataw, Let Cheik and Pin Tin village in Min Kin township into
cultivable land.  Most of the outcoming 3,000 new cultivable areas would
be shared to the Slorc military Battalions based in the region. Out of
3,000 acres of new cultivable land, 1,000 acres each are for Slorc LIB 364
and 366, another 500 acres are for Min Kin Township USDA (Union Solidarity
and Development Association) and only the rest 500 acres will go to the
local people. 
	In Last month, altogether 15 people including Tin Tun (Min Kin
Immigration Office), tin Thura ( Cooperative Department), Maung Maung (
office staff from State High School No.1) and one school teacher were
beaten up by Corporal from LIB 364 at the labor site. They were beaten
because they attempted to intervene the beating to the female school
teacher by the Corporal, according to the local people who has escaped to
the Thai-Burmese border. 
	Development projects and forced labor
	Under the name of Developmet Projects, Slorc is carrying out the
infrastructure projects across the country with using forced labor
practice. Thousands of local people are conscripted to work in these
projects such as construction motor road, railway road, bridges and dams
without any pay. 
	Local people in Taungoo township, Pegu Division have been forced
to work in the Pa Thi stream Project where Slorc is dyking and building a
dam.  Villagers from Kyauk Tyne village, Ngwe Taung Lay village and Khun
Hnit Mile village were forcibly worked in the construction of dam for two
days in every week. They had to bring their own food and instruments to
the construction site. This project is five-year project and people have
been conscripted to work since then, said a local villager who has
recently arrived to the Thai- Burmese border. 
	Similarly, about 25,000 local people have been forced to work in
the construction of Kan Ni reservoir project in Magwe Division which was
inaugurated last year. Under the multi-development of Sittaung River Basin
project, the construction of Kaung Tu reservoir, Bine Dar dam, Kawliya
dam, Ye Nwe dam and Baw Ni dam are underway where local people are being
conscripted to conduct forced labor. Besides the unpaid labor, people are
required to pay taxes for security fees, porter fee and other numerous
form of taxation.  ABSDF News Agency ABSDF (DAWN GWIN)